Planted on other tropical islands it has become an invasive species.[2] It grows quickly, and spreads by both seeds and root suckers. Other plants are unable to grow in the shade that it creates.[2] In the Galapagos Islands the tree was planted by farmers as a crop for the quinine.[2] It has become a dominant species on Santa Cruz Island, taking over from the shrub Miconia and Fern-Sedges. It is also invasive in Hawaii on Maui and the Big Island.[3]

Attempts have been made to control the plant in the Galapagos National Park using a variety of methods.[2] It is not affected by many poisons, it will regrow from a stump or any piece of root left in the ground.[2] Controlling it over all of Santa Cruz island would cost several million US dollars according to research by the Charles Darwin Foundation.